ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — It has been a couple of seasons since Brady Hoke appeared to be leading a Michigan resurgence, having taken the Wolverines o the Sugar Bowl in his first year as coach.

That honeymoon is over.

Michigan introduced a 2014 recruiting class of 16 players, a group ranked 27th in the nation by Scout.com as of Wednesday afternoon. Hoke's previous two classes were ranked in the top four by Scout.

"I would say size of class had something to do with it," Hoke said of the lower ranking. "But I really don't think I care. I think of guys who have been pretty good football players here and at other schools that were three-stars and two-stars."

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Michigan went 7-6 last season, then fired offensive coordinator Al Borges and replaced him with Doug Nussmeier. The school has also been dealing with the fallout from a recent report that kicker Brendan Gibbons was expelled for violating the school's sexual misconduct policies.

Michigan's recruiting class includes defensive back Jabrill Peppers of Paramus, N.J., who received a five-star ranking from Scout. The Wolverines signed players from nine different states, including four from Michigan.

"You know, 7-6 is not good enough. We know that, and we've got to become better," Hoke said. "But if you look at the class, they've stayed together the whole time."

The pressure is on Hoke to win more games next season. This will be his fourth year at the helm, and fans are growing restless again.

"I don't really listen to outside people," Hoke said. "The guys who are in the offices, the guys who are in the meetings, I think the players — those are the ones that you listen to."

MICHIGAN

Football players announcing plans to attend the University of Michigan, with position, height, weight and school: